BIOSKETCH. I pursued my BSc degree in Microbiology and Genetics at University of Lisbon (2005) and a PhD in neuroscience at King's College London (2010) with the support of a PhD fellowship from FCT. In 2009, I visited Osaka University in Japan for a research collaboration funded by a JSPS Post-Doctoral Fellowship. In 2010, I joined Salk Institute as a postdoc to investigate the link between aging and Alzheimer's disease, and to contribute to the cure of this devastating disorder. I managed to support most of my postdoctoral studies with my own funding, which included a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from FCT, a Pioneer Fund Postdoctoral Scholar Award from Salk and a Nomis Fellowship Award from Salk. During this time, I set up at Salk a combination of cell culture and animal models of aging with omics technologies to elucidate primary pathological mechanisms in dementia and to identify novel therapeutic targets. These studies led to the recognition of a unique mechanism of neurodegeneration called oxytosis/ferroptosis as a critical link between aging and AD. My work has also contributed to the identification of the molecular targets and anti-aging effects of the drug candidates J147 and CMS121, both now in Phase I clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. J147 and CMS121 are some of the first drug candidates for AD that were developed to specifically target the aging process in the brain. Since 2018, I hold an independent Staff Scientist position at Salk with my own lab space and personnel. In 2019 I was selected to the first Junior Faculty Training Program from the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at UCSD, a program designed to train the future generation of AD researchers. With funding awards from ADRC, Salk and NIH, my lab is now focused on unravelling the molecular implications of oxytosis/ferroptosis to brain function and developing new therapies to target this cell death pathway. We are identifying novel inhibitors of oxytosis/ferroptosis from plants in an international partnership. These compounds are then used to understand pathological mechanisms in aging and dementia, to identify novel molecular therapeutic targets, and to develop new medicines for treating age-associated human diseases. Our joint efforts and outreach initiatives are committed to providing a strong contribution to the United Nations' goals for sustainable development of the planet. BIBLIOMETRICS. Since 2007, I have published 41 research articles (6 as last/corresponding author, 14 as first author, 11 as second author, and 10 as co-author), which were cited more than 1400 times (h-index: 21; i10-index: 27). I have published in high-impact journals such as Ageing Res Rev (IF:10.895), Aging Cell (IF:9.304), Antioxid Redox Signal (IF:8.401), Br J Pharmacol (IF:8.739), Cell Chemical Biol (IF:8.116), Cell Death Dis (IF:8.469), eLife (IF:8.140), Mol Psychiatry (IF:15.992), Redox Biol (IF:11.799) and Trends Pharmacol Sci (IF:14.819). OHER SCIENTIFIC AND ACADEMIC OUTPUTS. I have contributed with 11 invited oral presentations and 11 poster communications in international meetings. I regularly serve as a scientific reviewer for multiple international journals. I have reviewed grant applications for the Alzheimer's Association (AA), Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) and Polish National Science Center (NCN). I am co-author in 1 granted patent. I have supervised 5 postdoctoral researchers, 1 visiting assistant professor, 2 PhD students, 1 MSc student and 2 undergraduate students, and currently serve as jury for 1 PhD thesis. I have received 9 awards/distinctions and work as Principal Investigator in 3 funded projects (two have finished and the current one is an R01 from NIH).